Thank You For Loving Me not written by Jon?

Could still be Richie or the fourth involved guy.

But "american pie", timely again in 2000 or not, is indeed pretty MH. Guy loves his '60s. Plus a line about vaginal penetration isn't very Jon.

True, could have been a joint effort. Something feels very MH-y about that phrasing. Guess we'll never know.

Thank You For Loving Me was written by Jon and Richie. I have always had this information. They're listed as authors on ascap and also the Czech version of such database.

And it sounds like typical Bon Jovi ballad, only with the popier feel of that time around 2000. I also fits the mood the were in lyrically. They didn't write about the same as in I'll Be There For You but rather from a long term relationship prespective. It corresponds with Just Older - they felt kinda old

All About Lovin' You sounds more like someone else's songs, at least musically and in arrangement. The chorus sounds like Bon Jovi.

I think they didn't play TYFLM that much because the already had many big ballads to play. Mainly Bed Of Roses, then I'll Be There For You, in 2001 Always returned. They skipped TD ballads completely (somehow These Days the song is not a ballad in my book).

I'm going to take this back a few steps.

There was a small window during late 99 / early 00 that was the perfect US market for the band to reenter.

Alternate Music was done! Boy Bands, Britney and all her clones, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez, etc were ruling the charts. It was becoming a modern day 80s again. Bon Jovi were the perfect Rock Band to fully round it off.

We've all heard the Sex Sells listening party and we've all heard most of those finished songs on the box set and other releases. As a fan, I like them all but there is no big radio hit in there.

I really believe they tried to rewrite Always with Save The World. It's the same progression. It was written for Armageddon and lost to Aerosmith so they handed over Mr Big Time instead and saved it for their own album.

Real Life for Ed TV fell off the charts quick and did nothing to help expose the band.

When Jon was involved with his movies and experimenting with different British sounds during the DA period, he got a little lost with the times and needed some guidance.

The record company went all in. They got a ton of Radio and MTV/VH1 air time, they got Max Martin in to make sure the sound was right with IML, along with a bunch of other stuff.

Meet Joe Black was released in November of 1998 so TYFLM definitely wasn't written in time for the Sex Sells Solo Album.

I do believe Jon stole the title from that movie like he said in that track by track Crush interview and I also think Jon solely wrote it. It's supposed to be I'll Be There For You part 2.

These 5 Words I Say To You - These 5 Words Tonight.

In short, I think it's Jon's title and Chorus. I also think he wrote the verses but when the record company picked this one as a future single, they might have had some outside writers come in to smooth out the verses so the song flowed better. And also modernize it to make sure it wasn't an 80s power ballad.

Songs like that require a powerful vocal and passion which are both missing on the Studio Track. I think that's why the song didn't do well. The song comes off better live in my opinion.

Plus theres no epic ballad solo in the song.

There has been alleged instances over the years where a co-writer is essentially paid off not to have their name credited. I don't know how often it happens now, but it has happened in the past. It was 60s bands I read about where the artists only wanted their names credited.

Could be.

I don't think Jon would straight up lie and make up a story if he didn't have some sort of involvement.

The song screams Bon Jovi on so many levels. Considering it was picked as a single, it's very possible that outside writers were called in to perfect it?

Outside of that, I think this topic is nothing but a conspiracy.

https://youtu.be/uURfi_-cUps

Yeah it clearly was a mislabelling of the songwriters across a few websites. It wouldn't make sense. If it were the case of ghost writers why would it say Jon Bon Jovi, Steve Mac and Wayne Hector and be credited as Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora?

Some sites have Jon, Richie and Shanks as writers of Westlife's Closer, due to One Step Closer being registered as Closer. It gets into tin-foil-hat stuff if you look too much into it. The theory with the label adding It's My Life holds much more weight I'd say.

I don't know why they would pay cowriters not to have their names credited when Max Martin is still mentioned, Andreas Carlsson on Bounce too and all the others. Doesn't make sense to me.

As it was mentioned, it screams Bon Jovi.

However, I like such conspiracies, more fun discussing this than the current stuff.

There was a theory that I'll Be There For You was stolen from a local band who asked JBJ and RS to present it the record company.

True. To omit them and include Dean Grakal, Mark Hudson, Peter Stuart, Greg Wells etc....good point.

I think the amount Richie has performed that song solo at least tells me IBTFY was primarily his song. Or at least 65/45 his.